This is study takes you through some key accounts of people and their steps of faith or lack of faith. The nine texts to look at are at the bottom of the chart. Click on the link at the top of the post.
I’ve been thinking a lot about faith. I actually have a love/hate relationship with faith. I love it because it liberates me, redeems me. It gives me a wonderful hope that there is something beyond what I see. God really is there. God is more loving and powerful than I’ll ever know this side of eternity.
But I also don’t like faith …or that I have to live by faith. When you live by what you cannot see it is scary business. It is hard business. When you’re living by faith you are confronted with your biggest fears. When you live by faith you cannot depend on your own wits or abilities. All you have in those instances is the Lord. And as you wait for the Lord it can be agonizing.
“Now faith is being sure of what we hope for, being convinced of what we do not see.” Hebrew 11:1NET
Faith has a definite future component. We have hope for a better eternal future. We have hope that “surely goodness and mercy will follow us all our days.” (see Ps23) We are looking ahead to what we do not possess right now, believing the Lord will move. That’s the hope we have for the future. In this hope we are certain he will lead. Faith means assurance of his continued involvement in our world.
But it also has a present component. We have to live now. Faith means that today I walk confidently that he will answer. What we don’t have today we wait in hope in the present. When we rest confidently in him life takes on joy and strength. When we trust in him and his character we gain peace and the ability to move ahead, even without the answer we want.
Here’s the other challenge with faith. “Now without faith it is impossible to please him, for the one who approaches God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him.” Heb 11:6 NET. Do you want to please him? You are going to have to live without having it all. Many things in life will have to be by faith and not by sight. We like to have everything buttoned down in our lives and that’s OK, to a point. But if we refuse to venture into faith or try to avoid it we won’t please God.
I’ve learned how to dodge the Lord. I can run quickly to avoid an awkward situation. That’s not good. I am glad that he paints me into a corner so that I can’t escape, so I cannot avoid living by faith. When I finally give in and choose to live by faith it is wonderful, thrilling. Before I choose faith though it is really hard.
So if you and I are going to please God we must head right at living by faith, without our sight. The very good news is that there is a promise if we do it. God rewards those who step towards trusting in him alone.